Russian team BC Khimki has lifted basketball’s Eurocup at its home arena near Moscow, defeating Valencia 77-68 in the final.
The victory gives Khimki a place in the top-tier Euroleague for next season, alongside some of the continent’s most established names.
Khimki pulled away in the final minutes with several free throws after Valencia had pulled level at 66-66 with two minutes left on the clock.
The win was Khimki’s first major European trophy after losing the 2009 Eurocup final to Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius.
“All trophies are special, but the Eurocup is a pleasure,” Khimki captain Vitaly Fridzon told RIA Novosti after Sunday’s game.
“It was my third Final Four already and finally a long-awaited victory. Valencia is a very strong opponent, but we played aggressively almost the whole 40 minutes and we coped with them.”
Khimki coach Rimas Kurtinaitis said the triumph was the result of the players working as a team, rather than any individual star players.
“Usually we do not have guys ranked in the top five or ten, just like I have never been among the top coaches in Europe,” he said in comments on the Eurocup website.
“But here we have won together, everybody like a fist, and I am happy for this."
Khimki's ex-New Jersey Nets guard Zoran Planicic was named finals MVP after notching up 19 points and four assists in 24 minutes.
Valencia coach Velimir Perasovic suggested he was unhappy with the refereeing in the latter stages, when Khimki scored eight points from three throws in the space of two minutes.
“When we missed a three-pointer with two minutes left, after that the refs hurt us. I don't understand how what happened in the last two minutes
